Name names and file charges, Chiz tells Faeldon over ‘corrupt’ tag on solons

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Thursday said Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon should name the alleged influence peddlers in Congress and file charges against them if needed.

“He [Faeldon] should name names and not issue a shotgun accusation,” Escudero said in a text message to reporters. 

“If indeed it is corruption, then he should name them and file cases against them if he is indeed serious in cleaning up his bureau,” he added.

Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, for his part, said Faeldon’s recent statements are just a “distraction.”

“The issue is that huge amounts of drugs [came] out of the BoC. Yun ang issue. Is corruption still rampant or is it incompetence. The lawmakers are not the ones running the Bureau,” Sotto said.

On Wednesday, Faeldon appealed to members of Congress to stop interfering in the operations of the BOC, particularly with regards to promotion of employees.

“I am appealing to you. You know that your request is a form of [corruption] but you insist and magagalit pa kayo... Shame on you. Stop it,” Faeldon said.

“This is not your property. This is the country's Bureau of Customs, this is the Filipino people's Bureau of Customs ... so don’t act like you own this,” he said.

While he refused to identify the members of Congress he was referring to, one of Faeldon's aides was earlier in the headlines after she called House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez an “imbecile” for supposedly pushing for the promotion of an employee who was “unqualified.”

Later that day, Faeldon clarified that only a few lawmakers have tried to influence him. He refused to name them, however.

“I was not saying that [it was] the entire [Congress]... there are [only a] very few. There were some congressmen who tried to influence me but I will not name [them] in the interest of unity of all government agencies,” Faeldon said during the House inquiry into the P6.4 billion worth of shabu illegally shipped into the country from China in May.

On Tuesday, Faeldon met with President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang while  Congress’ probe into the case of the May shabu shipment was in progress.

Several lawmakers who met with Duterte said the President will decide on Faeldon’s fate after both the Senate and House of Representatives conclude their separate investigations.

On Wednesday, Duterte said he believes in the integrity of Faeldon. But if it is proven that the Customs chief is involved in corruption, Duterte said: “Wala na tayong magawa.” — RSJ/KVD, GMA News